A ceramic photo tile is a full colour portrait fired onto porcelain that attaches to a headstone, plaque or grave marker. You design it online, and we ship it to any address across Canada.
A photograph that can stay outdoors
A printed photograph left at a grave fades, curls and peels within a season. A ceramic photo tile solves that by firing the picture you upload onto porcelain in full colour, so the face on the stone stays clear through Canadian summers and long winters. Families use one to add a portrait to an existing headstone, to finish a new plaque or grave marker, or to keep at home beside an urn. The tile is produced in high resolution, which means a good original gives a sharp result. It comes as glazed ceramic, a slightly convex porcelain base, or as vitreous enamel, the same image fired onto a flat metal base, and full colour, greyscale and sepia tones are all available.
It is a small piece, but it changes how a memorial feels. Visitors who never met the person see who they were, and grandchildren recognize a familiar smile instead of only a name and two dates.
What the tile offers
- Full colour detail: High resolution printing keeps skin tones, hair colour and background from the photo you choose.
- Fired porcelain: The image is fired onto ceramic, which frost and the freeze and thaw cycle do not harm.
- UV resistant and weatherproof: The tile is made to handle strong sun, rain and months under snow.
- Oval or rectangular: Choose the classic oval for a single portrait or a rectangle for a couple, a family or a wider scene.
- Adhesive backing or mounting: Fix the tile with its adhesive backing or choose a mounting option in the design tool.
Check with the cemetery before you add a photo
Every Canadian cemetery sets its own marker rules in a by-law, a diocesan regulation or a private rulebook, and there is no national standard. Some allow a photo on an upright headstone but not on a flush lawn marker, and some limit the size or position. Ask the office for its written marker specification and tell them you plan to attach a ceramic photo. Our free written proof shows the tile shape and size, so you can hand it to the office for approval before anything is made.
Keep the two costs apart when you plan. The cemetery charges its own fees for any work done on its grounds, while our price covers the tile itself. If you would rather have the photo built into a complete memorial, look at our picture plaques with photos or browse bronze grave markers for Canadian cemeteries.
How to order
- Ask the cemetery or columbarium for its written specification, including any limit on photos, and note the space available on the stone or niche.
- Open the ceramic photo tile designer, upload your photo and choose the shape and size; the price shows in Canadian dollars with shipping across Canada included.
- Review your free written proof and share it with the cemetery office if it needs to approve the addition.
- Press Proceed to Purchase to order, or save the design and come back to it later from My Account.
Price and delivery
In the design tool on 22 October 2026, an 80 by 100 mm (about 3 by 4 inch) ceramic photo tile was $334.80 in Canadian dollars, and the price changes as you change the size and options.
The price in the design tool already includes shipping anywhere in Canada, from a village in Nova Scotia to a city in British Columbia. We confirm the delivery date with your proof. Many cemeteries limit work on their grounds over winter, so a tile ordered in December is often fixed in place in spring. To see every product we make, visit the memorial products page.
Frequently asked questions
Can a ceramic photo tile be added to a headstone that is already in the cemetery?
Often it can, but the cemetery decides. Ask the office whether photos are allowed on that marker and at what size, then send them your free proof. The tile comes with adhesive backing or a mounting option. We do not attach tiles on site, and any work done in the cemetery follows its own rules and fees.
Will the photo fade or crack in a Canadian winter?
The image is fired onto porcelain, and fired ceramic is not harmed by frost or by freeze and thaw. The tile is also UV resistant and weatherproof, so strong summer sun and months of snow cover are both part of what it is made for.
What kind of photo gives the best result?
Use the sharpest and largest original you have. The tile is printed in high resolution, so detail in your file carries through to the porcelain. If your favourite picture is an old print, scan it at a high setting rather than photographing it with a phone. Your proof shows how the image will look before anything is made.
Can I put a photo tile on a columbarium niche?
Most Canadian cemeteries supply or specify the niche front plate and allow a small plaque or photo on it within their size rule. Ask the office for that rule first, then choose a tile size that fits inside it.
Can I order a tile to keep at home instead?
Yes. Many families order a second tile for a shelf, a memory box or a spot beside an urn, so the same portrait is at home and at the grave.
